Storge
by xIrelandx
Summary: Storge is characterized as friendship love. Storgic lovers are relaxed and unhurried. They want their love to be slow and natural. Because it's more of a companion type love, they do not understand the passion of the erotic or the playful, lack of commitment ludic. Companion piece to "Pragma." Edgeworth/Gumshoe, background others.


Gumshoe wasn't sure how to go about being in a relationship with Mr. Edgeworth. It wasn't that he didn't like the other man, or have feelings for him. Mr. Edgeworth was very handsome, distinguished, and better to Gumshoe than Gumshoe thought he deserved. He was misunderstood in a lot of ways, and it killed Gumshoe to see him upset or harrassed. No, Gumshoe's problem lay in the way that his unrequited love was still, well, unrequited.

For example, they didn't talk about their relationship. Sure, it was inappropriate to do so at work. No other office romance did so (although Athena Cykes and Simon Blackquill came close a couple of times), but even outside of work it wasn't discussed. Their relationship was progressing pretty quickly, but there was never any discussion of what they should call each other (husband? boyfriend? partner?), of how they would operate at work - because really, was it appropriate for Gumshoe to still be Mr. Edgeworth's detective? Many of the other cops at the station already thought Gumshoe was too emotionally invested in the prosecutor, how would they react after they were married?

Married. Gumshoe was glad to be alone in his patrol car. He didn't know what he would say if someone asked him what was wrong, what he was thinking about. He looked out his window from the stop sign, waiting for pedestrians to finish crossing. He smiled to see Mr. Wright walking with his jacket slung over his shoulder. Apollo Justice was a few steps ahead of him, looking over some papers. Wright was walking with his head down, nodding, only looking up when Apollo ran face-first into a telephone pole. The poor kid looked embarrassed, but Mr. Wright quickly slung an arm around the younger man's shoulders and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. Apollo colored, but didn't push him away.

Gumshoe looked down before the two could notice that he had been watching them. The two liked to keep their relationship private. Secret, almost, except everyone could tell they were together, though they all pretended not to.

Watching them wasn't helping him feel any better. If he was going to be honest with himself - and there was no reason not to - he wanted what they had. Of course he and Mr. Edgeworth would have a different relationship. They were different people, after all - vastly different to Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice. But Mr. Wright and Mr. Justice had a relationship that grew slowly from friendship and deep caring. It was a clear progression from friendship and casual touches, hugs, to holding hands and Phoenix using the mistletoe as an excuse to kiss him at the office Christmas party. Gumshoe had watched, feeling happy for them. He was more observant than people normally gave him credit for, and he could see that relationship coming. He'd wished, right then, that Mr. Edgeworth could feel the way about him that Apollo clearly felt about his boss.

This was not what he wanted. He couldn't help but feel a little used. Mr. Edgeworth had to know that Gumshoe would do anything for him, but this just felt cheap. Like he was being used.

No, maybe that wasn't the right word. He felt...uneven. Like there was no reciprocity coming from Mr. Edgeworth. Gumshoe squirmed in his seat, anxious to make it back to the station so he could finish up some paperwork before heading to his fiancee's house. He wanted to stop thinking about all these things. He didn't want to believe that he was a tool to Mr. Edgeworth, but the cold, methodical way he announced their engagement to him was not what Dick had been expecting. Even if Mr. Edgeworth's happiness was all he wanted...

The paperwork was wonderfully numbing. He only stopped to have a chat with one or two officers about ongoing cases, and was feeling pretty good about his place in life until Ema knocked timidly on the door. "Detective Gumshoe?"

"Hey Ema! You can come in." Ema held a few lab reports in her hand, but that wasn't what she was there for. She shuffled the papers around a bit, not meeting Gumshoe's eyes. "What is it, Ema?"

"Well, I was just wondering - those invitations. Is it - is it true?"

Not upset, so much as curious. Her head was tilted, eyes wide. "Yes," Gumshoe confirmed. "Prosecutor Edgeworth and I will be getting married in a few weeks' time."

"Oh!" she said brightly. "Okay! I was just checking. Klavier was certain it was some sort of belated April Fool's Day joke." She hugged the papers to her chest. Normally social gatherings bored her, but she seemed excited by the prospect. "I didn't even know you two were together!"

We weren't. "Yeah, it's...all a bit surprising." He tried to smile, to hide the confusion he was feeling. It must have worked, because Ema didn't question it. She assured Detective Gumshoe that she would be there and would drag Klavier along. Gumshoe nodded and smiled, trying hard to hide his disbelief at the situation he now found himself in. The only thing he could think to do was to break up with Mr. Edgeworth. He didn't really want to, but what was the other option? Live in a loveless marriage and continue to revel in the fact that, even though he now had who he wanted, they were still unattainable?

Mr. Edgeworth was chopping up vegetables for dinner, Pess watching diligently as if taking notes on the process. Gumshoe let out a soft sigh before announcing his presence. "I'm home, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth stopped his chopping so that he could turn slightly and give Gumshoe a thin smile. "Ah, good evening, Richard," he frowned. "Don't you think you should call me Miles?" he turned back to his vegetables. "We are to be married soon, after all."

Gumshoe's mouth felt a little dry. He licked his lips with what little saliva he could muster. "Yeah, about that, Mr. - Miles."

Edgeworth stopped his chopping once more, this time turning to see the other man fully. He didn't like the tone in the detective's voice. "Yes, Richard? Should I sit down?"

Gumshoe pulled out a chair and sat himself down. He leaned on the table with his elbows, rubbing his temples. There was no way this could go well. Maybe if he took a more indirect tactic... "Why do you want to marry me?"

Mr. Edgeworth - Miles - frowned. "Well, I am reaching a point in time in my life where I no longer wish to be alone. You were simply the best candidate." It was a sign of how out of touch Miles was that he smiled with no hint of irony or sarcasm at his last statement. As if to say, 'Well done!' to the detective.

"So I'm..." Dick struggled to find the words to describe how he was feeling without hurting Miles's feelings too much. This was just the prosecutor's weird sense of logic, and although logic had no place in a romantic relationship he did want to make his partner feel poorly. "Convenient?"

Miles frowned. He looked nervous, eyes shifting from side to side. "I suppose you could say that. It doesn't sound particularly romantic, however."

Gumshoe let out a sarcastic laugh. "What part of this relationship is romantic? You say you want to get married to me, but it's not really me. You just want to get married, and I happened to be here, practically waiting for you!" He didn't want it to come to this. Mr. Edgeworth was his friend, and he know that the prosecutor didn't have many of his own outside of the detective. "You're supposed to marry someone because you love 'em, not just because you're bored and -"

"What gives you the idea that I don't love you?" The question threw Gumshoe off track. Miles looked hurt, offended even, although his dark and glaring facade was back in place. Over the few weeks that they'd been together - if you could even call it that - he'd been more lighthearted. Not beaming outright, but still smiling that smirk in his very Edgeworth way. "Have I -" Miles looked away, rubbing his upper arm with one hand. "Have I miscalculated?"

"Miscalculated what?" Gumshoe felt as though Mr. Edgeworth was having a conversation with himself, and not even one where Gumshoe had overheard the details.

Edgeworth frowned. "You seem to be under the belief that I do not harbor amorous feelings toward you; or perhaps you do not have romantic feelings for me?"

Gumshoe was baffled. "No! No of course I do. But, you know," he squirmed. "Normally people date, get to know each other. Not that I mind. You're my best friend, really, I just always thought you thought I was kind of dumb. You know, beneath you?" Miles looked as though he meant to interrupt, so Gumshoe hurried along. "Mostly I just though you never felt the same about me."

"I apologize," Miles looked frustrated - not at Gumshoe, for once, but with himself. If the detective didn't know his friend any better, he might have thought he saw a few tears fall. "It is not that I do not care for you. However, my feelings are rather slow to develop."

The detective frowned. "So... You do have more-than-friendly feelings for me?"

Miles glared at the immature phrasing. "I feel a deep affection for you, approaching if not definitively love. I wanted, however, to make sure I was making the absolute best decision. If we were not compatible, there would have been no reason to ruin a perfectly good friendship and working relationship." Gumshoe nodded, and Edgeworth realized he wanted to hear the process. "You are...unfailingly loyal. You are much kinder to me than I deserve, and I do not wish to see you leave for another district. That final element was, admittedly, the catalyst."

Gumshoe frowned. "Huh?"

Edgeworth sighed. "I know that I should not have kept it from you, but there have been a few requests coming in, asking to transfer you various other departments throughout the state. I did not wish to...lose you."

Richard leaned across the table, pressing their lips together. Miles was caught off guard, but not entirely put off. Gumshoe made a concerted effort to not rush him. Although Richard himself often felt a deep affection toward his friends that grew to love where others stayed platonic, he did not want to rush Miles into something he would be uncomfortable with. Pulling back, Gumshoe started to apologize before Miles cut him off.

"A little warning, next time, if you please." The smirk was back full force, as though nothing at all had happened. Miles patted one of Richard's outstretched hands. "Now, there are a few formalities we must discuss."

"Oh, right," Gumshoe's face lit up again. With the exception of the tiff, this felt like a routine he could fall into. "What terms would you prefer?"

Edgeworth's brows furrowed. "Terms? Well, I suppose that is a bit bothersome as well. I was more inclined to ask which one of us would have the best man - and clearly, neither of us should use Phoenix. He would lose the ring in a heartbeat."


End file.
